After
Oregon Trail pioneers arrived in the Dalles Oregon, they
had to make some tough decisions. They had to decide whether
or not to press on and cross the Cascade Mountains to the fertile
Willamette Valley, and if so, how best to make that trip. Travel
on the Columbia was treacherous, and loss of life was high
due to the rapids at the Dalles and Cascade Locks. They knew
that if only they could somehow carve a shortcut across Mt.
Hood, they might shorten the journey and bypass the Columbia
River passage all together.

The
Barlow Trail was carved in the slopes of Mt. Hood. Traces
of the original trail can still be seen today. A commemorative
rock is located in Government Camp, and an Interpretive Center
is available to shed some light on this important route.